President Rouhani supports Iranian FM Zarif after shock resignation

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani supports outgoing Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif, Rouhani’s chief of staff said Tuesday according to Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) and reported by Reuters.

Zarif's resignation, announced on Instagram on Monday and subsequently reported by major Iranian news outlets, has not been formally accepted by Rouhani.

"In the view of Dr. Rouhani, the Islamic Republic of Iran has only one foreign policy and one foreign minister," Mahmoud Vaezi wrote in an Instagram post.

"The words of the president today in praising his foreign minister are a clear sign of the satisfaction of the representative of the people of Iran about the wise and effective positions and work of Dr. Zarif".

Rouhani said in a speech on Tuesday that Zarif is at the frontline of the battle against America and also thanked Zarif – the lead negotiator in the landmark 2015 nuclear deal – as well as Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh and central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati for their role in confronting the United States.

Iran's powerful parliamentary committee on national security and foreign affairs was scheduled to discuss Zarif's resignation later Tuesday.

Zarif urged diplomats not to quit and to "continue their duties in defense of the country", after news that ministry employees may be following him in resigning.

"I apologise for my inability to continue serving and for all the shortcomings during my term in office," Zarif said in the post announcing his resignation. 

Speculation

Zarif may have left his post due to pressure from hardline elements within the Iranian government, who have criticised the 2015 nuclear deal in which he was a key negotiator. The trigger could be his apparent exclusion from a meeting between Iran's leaders and Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

In remarks published a day after his surprise resignation, Zarif said fighting between parties and factions in Iran is a "deadly poison".

Other remarks seem to target bodies within Iran's government. "I hope that my resignation will lead to a return of the ministry of foreign affairs to its legal place in foreign relations," Zarif said to the IRNA.

The official reason for his resignation is not yet clear, however the news comes as Iran's nuclear deal looks set to collapse after the US withdrew from the accord.

There is also speculation it may be related to an ongoing debate in Iran about the adoption of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards related to terror financing and money laundry.

Some hard-liners are opposed to adopting the G-7 created standards, arguing they may harm national interests given Iran's support for overseas paramilitaries such as Hizballah.

Zarif and President Rouhani are in favour arguing Iran needs to remove itself from an international FATF banking blacklist as Tehran needs to restore banking connections to the outside world amid US sanctions.

On Tuesday, Rouhani had strong criticism for those opposed to the bill.